鐔津文集 17

English (machine translation) 17

Language: English

17.1

Composed by Śramaṇa Qisong of Dongshan in Tanjin, Tengzhou

17.2

Sixty Ancient and Regulated Verse Poems in Total

17.3

Poems on Three Eminent Monks (with Preface)

The Tang monks Jiaoran, Lingche, and Daobiao were celebrated in Wu and Yue for their virtue in the Way. Hence a popular saying praised them, saying: 'Zhou of Zha possesses clear elegance; Che of Yue is like ice and snow; Biao of Hang grazes the clouds in the sky.' Having heard of their renown, I admired them, and following this saying, I composed three poems to expand upon its meaning.

17.5

Zhou of Zha Possesses Clear Elegance

17.6

Venerable Zhou's literary works are clear and elegant; / The talent Heaven bestowed on him cannot be rivaled. / Monks practicing literature have existed since antiquity, / But for preeminence, one must honor Zhou as the first. / Though creation alters, the spirit does not shift; / When Venerable Zhou composed poetry, his mind was just the same. / Above, he straddled the Sao and the Ya; below, he surpassed Shen and Song; / With free and bold thoughts running wild, his Way was fully complete. / How could the Chan master’s cultivation of literature have been in vain? / It guided human minds to penetrate Buddhist principles. / Gentlemen of the court, like Duke Lu and his peers, / Early on joined his pure excursions, admiring what lay beyond the mundane. / Though this man has passed away, these words remain; / Defending the Dharma, they surely shall endure for ten thousand generations.

17.7

Che of Yue Is like Ice and Snow

17.8

Venerable Che's purity was like ice and snow; / An eminent monk's natural endowment is distinct from other men. / At thirty he could write verse, his fame already manifest; / His name ranked among poets, while his mind dwelt in the Vinaya. / No different from Huiyuan, yet different from Huixiu; / When Jiaoran had not yet joined him, who could be his peer? / As wandering white clouds, where had he any fixed abode? / Suddenly he entered the Guanzhong region to visit Bao and Li. / Solitary purity is hard to sustain, thwarted by the crowd; / In the end he was blameless, though struck by false rumors. / The tree that stands tall in the forest is surely broken by the wind; / Venerable Che's harbored virtue became the seed of calamity. / The ancients have already gone, no longer to be lamented; / For you I compose this verse, bequeathing it to those who come after.

17.9

Biao of Hang Grazes the Clouds in the Sky

17.10

Master Biao's loftiness grazed the clouds in the sky; / It lay in virtue—how could it lie in sinking into seclusion? / With a single hermitage at the mountain's foot, he lodged his secluded solitude; / Loftily aloof, carefree, he did not enter worldly dust. / At times he climbed empty crags to gaze afar; / One heard not his speech, but his clear whistling. / In those days Lu Yu pursued secluded quests, / Once entering the blue clouds to hear the Way in his presence. / Bringing rain to relieve drought, commanding spiritual dragons— / How could this be the same as human affairs? / The dark working responded to marvels, a sprout of the mind; / This is why the master was called Daobiao.

17.11

Seeing off Editorial Director Zhang Biaomin

17.12

One day the master came to the mountain's edge, / Coming to say farewell, about to depart where? / Former magistrates, pure as dust, all arrived as well (at the time, Zhou Ganzhi came along), / With fresh carriages and light girdle-pendants gleaming resplendently. / Entering the gate, he looked upon me with fine countenance; / Beneath the forest, holding sleeves, we followed one another. / Laughing and chanting with unrestrained, heroic spirit, / Raising our heads, we did not notice the white sun tilting west. / Dusting off the couch, he was detained to lodge in the rock chambers; / A paper quilt and rush mat were truly laughable. / Paying no heed to abundance or frugality, we sought only what suited us; / Assenting without objection, none refused the other. / At this time the spring was mild in the middle of the second month; / Through the long night, clear and wakeful, a slight chill was faint. / Loftily conversing, our noble interests coincided, / Like pitchers pouring springs, contending in profusion. / In an instant we drew our seats close and bid each speak his intent, / Straightforwardly pouring out what lay in our chests with plain words. / People's minds differ just like their faces; / Throughout life, each has his own pursuit. / Biaomin suddenly hurried to the head of the mat and said: / 'I have an intent that others do not know! / How could the shallow vulgarity of late customs be worth speaking of? / Holding food in my mouth and not swallowing, I heave long sighs. / In youth I followed a master to study the classics, / Not picking at branches and leaves, but plumbing the roots and foundations. / The Way of emperors and kings could decisively be known; / In the Pan Geng of Yin and the Proclamations of Zhou I had no more doubts. / In undertakings past and present, practical use is valued; / Literary meaning and composition must follow standards. / How could it resemble children carving emptily? / Painted cakes cannot cure morning hunger! / At fifteen, diligently I labored at letters, / Grinding away at brush and inkstone until my spirit was exhausted. / Long scrolls and great rolls were boundlessly countless; / Resolute and indignant, I only wished to support governance. / The year before last, appointed as an official, I came to Western Zhe; / Bureaucratic duties were menial and vulgar, unworthy of a glance. / Pouring out my heart, I wished to offer the statecraft of kings and hegemons; / But using a fine steed to catch mice is hardly fitting. / The great prefecture of Qiantang is full of prominent officials; / Comparing ranks, mine was the very lowest. / Meng Ke alone bore a vast, flood-like qi; / Who could fold his sleeves and bow his brow forever? / What a real man values is advancing by the Way; / Over ten thousand li into the blue clouds, one must gallop by oneself. / Alas, looking back at myself, what had I become? / Content to take ancestral privilege as my personal resource! / Thus, pleading illness, I withdrew far away, / Abruptly diverging from official cap and ribbon. / If Master Dong of Jiaoxi is worthy of admiration, / Lowering the curtain and toiling hard, I exhausted the documents and poems. / Living in leisure and solitude, I felt many stirred emotions; / What moved me was that contemporary governance was giving rise to flaws. / A lowly minister harboring integrity secretly offered himself, / Writing a memorial of ten thousand words to submit to the cinnabar steps. / The celestial gates are deep and precipitous in the northwest; / Craning my neck for a single glance, clouds drifted endlessly. / In the end, no gracious response was sent down; / In vain I laid bare my heart and liver, weeping useless tears. / Alas! My life's fortunes are ill-timed; / Failing to meet my era, I am content to be abandoned and forgotten. / When dragons and snakes hibernate, the inchworm bends; / When the myriad things are out of season, one must be content in oneself. / My family's fields and gardens lie in the southern country; / There are also streams and mountains named Wuyi. / The springs are sweet and the soil is dark, fit for sowing and reaping; / Returning, I will labor with the old farmers at mattock and hoe.' / When Ganzhi and I heard these words, / Our spirits were stirred, and we rested our chins in amazement. / Deep plans and far-reaching thoughts are unfathomable; / The boundless ocean has no bottom, and heaven has no edge. / Before the Gate of Heaven are countless guests, / Rubbing shoulders and treading on feet, contending to present their words. / Warmly clad and fully fed, indulging their pride and luster, / How many outstanding men can be like this? / 'I pray you step forward, and I shall speak with you: / Why must you be lightly discouraged and trouble your diligence? / Fine grain is harvested in winter, while the hibiscus blooms in the morning; / The flourishing of the myriad things has its swiftness and slowness. / Have you not heard that Yi Yin approached Tang five times / Before the Way of Yao and Shun could finally be applied? / Worthies and heroes make light of themselves and take the realm seriously; / How could they allow themselves to hustle only for private gain? / Moreover, now the barbarians insult the Central Kingdom, / Trampling the two borderlands and turning over the topsoil. / The generals' punitive expeditions struggle without victory; / A million troops have grown weary, their banners worn out. / Lean years and plentiful years alternate once again; / Wind, rain, frost, and snow are still unseasonable. / The Son of Heaven is diligent in governance, lacking leisure even to eat; / He too awaits capable talents to aid and supplement him. / In the court above there are noble persons; / In intelligence, how could they yield to Gao Yao and Kui? / Upholding the public Way, they honor the great master craftsmen; / In measuring the catalpa and cedar, would they allow any discrepancy? / I admire your open and generous nature; / Do not use your teaching to mutually disparage others. / Facing the wind and bright moon, we part over a thousand li; / How could I shrink from pouring out my heart in these wishing verses? / Vulgar people love to slander and seldom delight in goodness; / Your fine reputation and pure integrity, take care never to impair them! / If the court asks for policies like those of Pingjin, / In the examination for the Worthy and Good, who could be first if not you?'

17.13

Ancient Intention (Five Poems)

17.14

The wind blows a wisp of cloud / That scatters into spring rain. / It sprinkles upon my pine and cypress forest; / Lush and verdant, the branches may be gathered. / Holding fast to this integrity that withstands the cold of the year, / In my hands it remains empty and forlorn. / To the secluded valley no one comes; / As the sun sets, with whom can I share my thoughts?

17.15

Two

17.16

Do not laugh at Zhi and Xu; / Their loneliness was not ignorance or stupidity. / Do not make light of Ji and Ruan; / The mountains and forests have pure delights. / Human life lasts in vain a hundred years; / Joy is little, while sorrow still abounds. / The myriad affairs run long or short without aim; / Nothing compares to letting the Way prevail. / You are not a scholar who scorns the world, / Treading high to fish for reputation. / Merely bid farewell to worldly bonds, / Content in heart to roost on stone steps. / In the clear sky the white sun flies; / Worldly affairs in the end have no response. / Better to examine your own sincerity, / Speaking to yourself and presenting it back to yourself.

17.17

Three

17.18

Amidst the clouds I see a pair of birds / Flying high, revealing the sun and moon. / Their plumage is adorned with brilliant patterns; / Soaring aloft, they differ from falcons and hawks. / Unfettered, far across a thousand li, / They never look back at forest or grove. / The spring wind drifts and wafts at will; / Their strong pinions are all the more transcendent. / The wandering swordsmen on the path / Catch sight of you only in a fleeting haste. / Though they have golden pellets, / They squint and dare not fire. / Thus I know that those with singular endowments / Naturally preserve themselves, forever surpassing others. / Looking back at the flocks of yellow sparrows, / Why do they cling to the dusty earth?

17.19

Four

17.20

Laughable is the floating cloud on high, / Mounting the void to veil the sun and stars (some read 'mounting the void' as 'rising on the whirlwind'). / Rather be the secluded orchid and thoroughwort, / Spreading their own fragrance amidst the grasses. / Being self-sufficient is one's natural lot; / There is no need for your ethereal subtlety. / Obscuring and veiling are what is detested; / Why linger towering for so long? / Since ancient times, broad-minded scholars / Have mostly left their tracks in dim obscurity. / Treasuring the mountain forest, they depart forever, / Concealing their function as well as their form. / The Valley of the Fool cannot be equaled; / In deep seclusion, one returns to self-serenity. / Alas, I too envy this, / Nurturing my declining years in stillness and solitude.

17.21

Five

17.22

In deep obscurity, I chanced upon a true elder, / Who conferred upon me a scroll of a book. / In the deep forest, I met a recluse, / Who gave me an axe and a hoe. / 'What are an axe and hoe for?' / 'To cultivate timber and vegetables. / Overgrown weeds must be cleared away, / Allowing them to flourish freely.' / 'What is this bestowed book meant for?' / 'To instruct your mind and body. / Learning must begin with rectifying oneself; / Only when self-ordered does it extend to the rest.' / In this purpose lies fine instruction; / Wearing it close, I have never cast it aside. / How is it that the drifting multitude / Persist in their own errors, thinking they are right? / Accustomed to each other, they form vulgar ways, / Devoid of virtue, bearing crooked, deformed bodies. / I have composed these rustic verses, / Entrusting you to transmit them all.

17.23

Roaming on Mount Long to Visit the Daoist Celestial Master Li

17.24

The sun rises, and the wilderness is bright and clear; / In solemn reverence I go to visit the follower of the Way. / Indistinct, I travel beyond the lake; / Carefree, I walk along the clouds. / Autumn is high, and the vault of heaven is pure; / Fallen leaves fly this way and that. / Riding the wind, I cross forests and ridges, / Feeling my robe and shoes grow lighter and lighter. / From time to time, amidst the ethereal realm, / A gentle breeze carries the cry of a crane. / I know I am near the immortal's dwelling; / My wandering thoughts are cool and clear. / In a moment, I turn into a secluded valley; / The Purple Mansions and the mushroom fields lie level. / An immortal boy runs swiftly to report; / Master Songzi comes to the gate to welcome me. / Joining sleeves, we speak and laugh; / What brings us joy is no vulgar sentiment. / With cinnabar cheeks, the man has not aged; / His Daoist countenance is naturally perfected. / Spreading the feast, jade grains are arranged; / On the platters are delicacies of purple shoots. / Attentive, like old friends of long standing, / Relaxed and unrestrained, we pour out our hearts. / At dusk, how can I bear to say I must leave? / Lingering, I lean against the mountain pillars. / Wishing to make an agreement to seek him out again, / I still worry that his lofty name may change.

17.25

Moved by Encounters (Nine Poems)

17.26

The sea water is clear in the dark night; / Autumn colors embrace the Isles of Penglai and Fanghu. / There is an old man, the Lord of Twin Dragons, / Who uses an iron net to catch coral. / Wind and clouds drift vast and leisurely; / Full of sorrow, what does he seek? / He wishes to ask the people of heaven / Whether it can be exchanged for the bright moon.

17.27

Two

17.28

The immortals' White Jade Capital— / Far away, how ethereal it is! / Jasper pavilions of twelve stories, / Exquisite, floating above the clouds. / The Silver River has the moon for its waves; / Ten thousand acres form its ponds. / When autumn arrives, the palace halls gleam, / Spilling dawn down into the human realm. / The empty void is clear and bright at times; / Through mists and rosy clouds, the blue bird is distant. / It can be seen, but cannot be reached; / What I yearn for is completely remote and lost.

17.29

Three

17.30

How leisurely was Yang the halberd-bearer! / His insight was far-reaching, his talent utterly extraordinary. / When he first took up his brush to draft the Mysterious, / He was quite mocked by others. / The towering Way of Kong and Meng / Dismissed your leveling of steep heights. / The jade mirror holds a hidden radiance; / Only after a thousand years does it flourish brilliantly. / Send word to broad-minded scholars: / When unappreciated, do not sigh in grief! / Look toward the mind, for the Way is noble of itself; / Why follow vulgar attitudes and shifts of power? / The green mountains ensure one can go away forever; / The white sun may be chastely gazed upon. / Lofty standards leave behind the pine and cypress; / Solitary fragrance holds its integrity unmoved.

17.31

Four

17.32

Where celestial majesty does not reach, / Weapons of war stir the frontier lands. / Generals exert their fierce power, / And the forces of heroes rise in their wake. / In great numbers they march out of Yumen Pass, / Solemn amidst the autumn colors. / White horses brave yellow clouds; / Clear frost sharpens severe commands. / Young and strong boys of the Feathered Forest, / Strive for capability, but do not rejoice too much! / Fondness for warfare is not the ruler's intent; / The use of arms is only when there is no other choice. / Send word to the Flying General: / His wondrous stratagems must be matchless. / Let your intent be to repay the ruler's favor; / How could one die for mere gold? / When a real man dedicates his life to the state, / Resolute and noble, he should be like this! / Rather let the Grand Historian write it down / Than lightly mock Master Lu Lian.

17.33

Five

17.34

Vast and boundless between heaven and earth, / How swiftly does flowing time pass! / I have heard of the people of high antiquity, / Yet never saw the sun's chariot pause. / Barely has it sunk into the clouds of Mount Yanzi, / Than it rises again above the Fusang tree. / Mountain colors grow dark in sorrow; / The shape of heaven dawns amidst dreams. / How could we know King Mu, the Son of Heaven, / Had dragon steeds driven by spirits? / Swiftly riding the wind for ten thousand li, / He went off again toward the Jasper Terrace. / Transcendent and distant, companion to immortals— / For what reason should this principle be? / Why not live long through the years of Yao, / And dwell forever in the human world?

17.35

Six

17.36

Guests of caps and carriages, whence do they come? / Their spirit rises to the clouds, full of pride. / Morning after morning they hasten to the twin watchtowers; / Bustling, they cross the Wei River Bridge. / Golden bridle ornaments ring beyond the clouds; / Painted candles burn beneath the moon. / Ethereally walking along the heavenly road, / Soaring aloft into the jade-like sky. / How is it that within this earthly domain, / They are suddenly so distant from the human realm? / Ever brushing their silk skirts, they depart / To attend the court below the Hall of Bright Light. / One bow and then one look upward; / Great is their glory, but sorrow is also abundant. / White hair grows along their collars; / Rosy cheeks fade in the mirror. / How could they know that beneath the pines and junipers, / The recluse is perpetually solitary and still? / In all affairs, indifferent and without care, / Lounging at ease, he often chants aloud. / Vast between heaven and earth, / Who inquires of Fuxi, the Yellow Emperor, or Yao? / Facing the wind with a single clear whistle, / What need to be like Wangzi Qiao?

17.37

Seven

17.38

The empty void clears the distant smoke; / The post-rain hues embrace the autumn scenery. / Thinking of you, I constantly linger; / Fixing my eyes on the summit of a thousand peaks (fixing my eyes is also written as wandering alone). / The bright moon begins to become fully round; / It can illuminate the shadow of the fair one. / Will the fair one come or not? / Clouds and rosy mists drift distantly over forest and ridge.

17.39

Eight

17.40

Pines and cypresses are the spirit of the earth; / Weeds and brush flourish alongside them. / I wish that within this realm, / The hearts of people would return to pure simplicity. / South of Cangwu and Mount Kuaiji, / There would no longer be tumuli and graves. / In all six directions there is no intimate friend, / But the green mountains offer a way home. / In human life, one cherishes rosy cheeks; / The worthy mirror is constantly looked upon. / Last night at the Dew-Splendor Terrace, / Who did not lament the late autumn?

17.41

Nine

17.42

Leisurely was Yan Ziling, / A vessel of expansive and lofty breadth. / His old friend was honored as emperor, / Yet the White Colt in the end did not arrive. / Addicted to leisure, he loved the clear pool; / Lofty and transcendent, he played with fragrant bait. / Green mountains floating with white clouds, / For ten thousand ages he entrusted his noble intent. / Hou Ba did not understand the Way; / At first he too disliked his haughty will. / Why did he hold kings and marquises in low esteem? / Because his mind surpassed heaven and earth. / Thus one grieves for the likes of Lou Hu: / Why attach oneself to power and influence? / Wandering between Jiang and Guan, / Bending their principles to dance in line. / Vast and great was the Way of ancient august rulers; / A toiling life binds itself in shackles. / Better to return home, / Riding the wind and shaking out long sleeves!

17.43

Remembering Yue and Showing It to the Great Monks of Shanyin

17.44

Weary of seeing the clamor of the human realm, / On pure journeys I recall magical Yue. / Southeast are tens of thousands of mountains; / Floating azure fills the vast void. / Ever a scene within a mirror, / Its landscape is peerless in the human world. / The moon is clear at Goose-Exchange Creek; / Clouds rise from the Book-Hiding Cavern. / The traveler is like tumbling tumbleweed, / Suddenly parted from old friends. / Before a letter could be exchanged, / The fragrant herbs were already said to have withered. / What I grieve over is the hardship of the road, / Where every movement damages one's reputation and integrity. / The calling wild geese are about to fly east; / I send my words to thank the bright moon.

17.45

Song of Early Autumn

17.46

In the mountain dwelling last night, room and lattice were cold; / A single parasol leaf fluttered down into the golden well. / The vast sky, clear like water, concealed all clouds; / The bright moon, holding its radiant glow, transformed the autumn scene. / Cassia branch flowers open as the wind flutters; / Who upon the high tower plays the jade flute? / In the mortal world, no raft is seen ascending the River of Heaven; / In the heavens, magpies are about to make their bridge. / Where now is the youthful soldier on the march? / White dew drenches his clothes, yet he has not returned home. / By the sea today there is no washerwoman's home; / South of the River, who meets the noble wandering youth? / Lingering beneath the moon, in vain I chant aloud; / For our kind, an understanding ear has ever been hard to find. / Wishing to ascend the high terrace, I ask the bright moon: / Why does the bright moon not shine upon human hearts?

17.47

The Worthies Lodge in the Mountains: Composed on the Topic “Lodging beneath the Cliffs in Evening Clouds”

17.48

A faint breeze calms the treetops; / The red sun sinks down the cliff's bend. / The bright moon emerges, already full; / White clouds return, not yet dense. / In height, they must companion gibbons and cranes; / In depth, they do not darken the pines and trailing lichen. / If they do not set forth to become soaking rains, / What can be done for this year of drought?

17.49

Evening Gazing on the Zhejiang River

17.50

Dusk colors stretch boundlessly to view; / In autumn skies, water merges with heaven. / A lone sail beyond the flying birds; / The new moon beside the receding tide. / Separated by Yue, the mountain shapes are small; / Swallowing Wu, the terrain tilts askew. / How many have grown old coming and going / On the morning and evening ferryboats?

17.51

Inscribed for Jingshan Temple

17.52

Verdant peaks surge beyond the gathered mountains; / Connecting with heaven, their momentum never ceases. / Clouds baffle the path of flying birds; / Rain issues from the ancient dragon pool. / A monk sits in samādhi amidst deep clouds; / Incense floats mingled with distant mists. / The mortal world cannot reach here to wander; / Terraces and halls dwell in their own clear autumn.

17.53

On Vice Minister Lang’s Retirement

17.54

In times of peace he alone loftily took leave; / His virtue ascendant, he wished to conceal his light. / With white hair he parted from the enlightened lord; / Toward green mountains he longed for his native land. / The herb garden welcomes the visits of cranes; / Along chanting paths, he fears the shrouding clouds. / Even more he loves reclining in the Chan grove, / Coming from time to time to brush off the stone couch.

17.55

Early Plum Blossoms in the Mountains

17.56

Gracefully erect, reflecting the evening light; / Pure and bright, emerging above the forest edge. / The little garden joins the pale clouds; / A solitary bloom braves the snow's cold. / In the mortal world it is not yet seen at all; / Beyond worldly things it is first to be beheld. / One only wishes to liken it to fine jade; / How could it be surpassed by the tree peony?

17.57

Drifting on Ruoye Stream

17.58

Taking advantage of spring, I drift upon the waters of Yue; / The boat window closes and opens again. / Fair mountains recede along the banks; / A sudden shower brings falling blossoms. / Shore shadows: the woodcutter crosses; / Singing voices: the washing girls return. / Boundless meaning in the azure ripples; / As the sun sets, it is ever more leisurely.

17.59

Inscribed for Mao Youzhang's Garden Pavilion

17.60

I love the beauty of this park and grove; / Coming again, the flowers and trees are lush. / The wanderer, intoxicated, does not depart; / Secluded birds warble at all hours. / Misty outer walls connect with fragrant grasses; / A spring lake ripples across clear waters. / Pines and bamboo bear no vulgar tone; / Travelers look forward to each other in vain.

17.61

Late Spring at a Mountain Pavilion

17.62

The mountain courtyard grows quiet in the evening; / Woods and rocks stand craggy and steep. / A dog runs off, barking at human voices; / Blossoms drift, caught freely in birds' beaks. / Clear mists scent the luxuriant grasses; / The warm sun softens over tall firs. / Yet happier is the full and rounded moon; / Pure light descends onto the jade-green cliffs.

17.63

Presented to Myself

17.64

Sitting in quiet, I watch the bamboo once more; / Wandering idly, I also keep company with woodcutters. / The mind of the Way surely has its dwelling; / Worldly livelihood ought to be free of care. / Guests have gone, so pure talk is rare; / Over the years, white hair has grown abundant. / Casually taking up Zhi Dun's brush, / In leisure I compose verses on 'Carefree Wandering'.

17.65

Summer Without Rain

17.66

In the mountains, bitterly suffering lack of rain, / Day after day we gaze at the clouds and rainbow. / Lesser Heat gives way to Greater Heat; / Deep streams have turned to shallow rills. / Springs have dried down to the bottom of wells; / The earth is parched, burning the vegetable beds. / There is no way to inquire of Heaven’s will; / In vain I yearn for the crying of waterbirds (it is popularly said that when waterbirds cry, rain falls upon all under heaven).

17.67

Writing of My Feelings at Year's End

17.68

The north wind has just turned cold; / The morning sun holds warmth within. / To the southern lands I have not yet returned; / At East Mountain, the year draws to a close. / Floating life swiftly glides away; / How can a youthful countenance be made to stay? / I send my regards to the human world: / Its tangled splendors are all the more cause for awakening.

17.69

Early Journey in the Mountains

17.70

The mountains ahead passed through a night of rain; / Walking alone, I tread through spring mud. / At the sky's rim the sun is about to emerge; / From farming homes roosters crow once more. / A solitary plume of smoke rises where I walk; / The open wilderness dips low in my view. / Still glad to encounter a woodcutter, / Hand in hand we cross several streams.

17.71

Returning Late on the Lake

17.72

My trifling roaming in the world is finished; / With an impulse to return, I seek my old hermitage. / Walking along spring banks, not yet to the end, / I watch the evening sun almost completely sink. / Mountain mist fades along the ridges; / The sky's reflection draws near by the water. / Cherishing my own genuine quiet delight, / My pure chanting lengthens and draws out.

17.73

Sent to a Friend in Late Spring

17.74

No smoke over the lake in daytime: / In the human realm, it is Cold Food festival. / Overcast or clear, spring easily changes; / Flowers and the moon: their seasons rarely align. / Not yet fearing the clamor of green frogs, / I first sorrow over the fading of purple bracken. / Clouded peaks grow steadily warmer; / Do not delay in coming to visit!

17.75

Sent with Fond Thoughts to Chan Master Yue of Mount Letan

17.76

I hear of the place where you peacefully practice Chan, / Where deep wisteria lies dim and far across the stream. / Clear calls of gibbons arise during your samādhi; / Secluded birds roost beside your seat. / Cloud shadows differ at morning and dusk; / Mountain peaks stand level, near and far. / I wonder who will ask about the Dharma, / Standing through the snowy night in Jiangxi?

17.77

Composed on the Road Sending a Guest Back to the Northern Palace

17.78

At the northern suburb I see off Master Yang; / As the sun slants, I return to my old dwelling. / Road mud is soaked by the morning moisture; / The dark moon presses upon the close of spring. / Mulberry and cudrania are green in the rain; / Human chimneys are sparse outside the pass. / Just as before, local customs appear; / My impulse to return mingles with woodcutters and fishermen.

17.79

Following the Rhymes of Wubian on Being Reappointed to Chengtian

17.80

Reappointed to office, you again loftily decline; / I know your aspirations run deep. / Blue mountains are where you ought to dwell in seclusion; / With white hair, you wish to give rest to your mind. / Wait further until the plum rains arrive; / What harm in passing through Tiger Forest? / Babbling streams join the mountain brooks; / In the sixth month, clear sounds abound.

17.81

Returning Late to the Mountain Cottage

17.82

At dusk I return to the monastic lodge; / Walking slowly, no one accompanies me. / As the sun sets, the moon turns clear; / The mountain is empty, the water still quieter. / Faintly I hear a distant bell, / Carefree and detached upon the western ridge. / I send word to those who rise above the world: / Come here and take leave of the dusty realm.

17.83

Reading Books

17.84

Reading books in old age—what is the point? / Yet I read on, merely to beguile the eyes. / Though this intention is quite casual, / Boundless lofty feeling is lodged within. / Polishing and scouring the minds of a thousand ages, / Tossing and turning, several times I forget my meals. / Unaware that the white clouds have departed, / Spring is quiet as evening falls in the mountains.

17.85

Seeing off Hermit Lu Returning to Mount Lu

17.86

Worldly affairs revolve like a ring; / Right and wrong can never be exhausted. / I envy your return to the deep mountains, / Letting others mock it as lesser reclusion. / The yellow crane has already soared high; / The white clouds depart, by no means near. / The sounds of Heaven return to silence; / Upon which peak will you pluck your clear strings?

17.87

Returning to Mount Nanping, Occasioned by Events

17.88

Returning at year's end, the stone chamber is cold; / Amidst pines and wisteria in desolate stillness, I linger. / Only knowing that another year has passed beneath the forest, / I do not see the ten thousand hardships of the human world. / For summoning the recluse, there are poems inscribed on the stone record; / For explaining away ridicule, there is no theory to present to the times. / This mind is already united with Subhūti; / The body resembles a floating cloud—no need to look upon it.

17.89

Entering Stone Wall Mountain

17.90

The body resembles a floating cloud, the years are like a stream; / In the turmoil of the human world, it is best simply to rest. / In old age I have grown accustomed to the trailing blue vine; / Retiring into seclusion, I should follow Bai Daoyou. / Entering directly into chaotic peaks, why reckon the path? / Surely watching falling leaves is how one knows autumn. / When in times to come people meet me at the valley mouth, / Let them not ask me to compose poems to decline the five marquises.

17.91

Finding Contentment in the Mountains, Declining an Acquaintance

17.92

Let the ten thousand affairs accord with fitness; do not force your grasp. / Passing briefly through court and marketplace, one immediately returns to the mountains. / A toilsome life is not necessarily bettered by floating fame; / Accord with one's nature: one must everywhere be at leisure. / All is like a dream—cease asking about shadows; / It is only fit to gladden the countenance further in chanting verse. / How could the Daoist of Xiangyang understand you? / Gibbons and cranes live desolate and free amidst the stone chamber.

17.93

Sent to Elder Yuan of Chengtian

17.94

Pure and detached, in recent years affairs have grown ever more leisured; / Without regard to whether beneath the forest or among humankind. / The Chan mind to the utmost is neither clamor nor stillness; / For a silent guest, what harm is there in coming and going again? / Strange rocks and a clear veranda enhance the scenic delight; / Flowing springs and a jade-green seat reflect a fading countenance. / Casting off bodily form, utterly detached from worldly circumstance, / One must laugh at returning to buy yet another mountain.

17.95

Inscribed as an Admonition (Occasioned by Events)

17.96

Chanting aloud and gazing far, leaning on the cloud ladder; / Past affairs that cross the mind can all be written of. / The two chapters on Dao and De: in vain one argues them; / Right and wrong: how could a single horse make them equal? / The true jade of Mount Hui suffers injury from fire; / The spiritual snake that lost its water dreads the mud. / I send word to the wild goose soaring into the distant sky: / With wings that rise above the clouds, do not think of flying low.

17.97

New Year's Day

17.98

In the dark, spring hastens forward as dawn's colors brighten; / A hundred roosters greet the dawn, heralding new calls. / Lingering cold still remains, dragons and snakes lie dormant; / The hidden calendar is newly proclaimed, greeting sun and moon. / Daylily leaves for all four seasons now first sprout; / Plum blossoms on this single morning claim pride of early bloom. / Mountain dwellers also pray for long life under Yao's heavens, / Casually emulating Mount Niu to announce universal peace.

17.99

Having Finished Writing Books, I Yearn to Return South; Meeting a Guest Coming from Panyu, I Composed This Poem

17.100

My past labors of writing books are now roughly finished; / Returning south, I ultimately wish to withdraw into Mount Luofu. / In early spring, all the more joyful to meet a countryman from my old home; / Throughout the night we boast of travels across the vast ocean. / Valuing only the fine scenery and customs of the City of Rams, / How could I shrink from the long and branching roads of Plum Pass? / I must join the likes of Ge Hong, / Raising our tracks into mountain forests to see out our white hair.

17.101

Enjoying Lengquan Alone, Sent to Superior Chonghui

17.102

The south wind brushes the waves, the stream water is full; / The recluse in the mountain comes to wash and rinse. / Standing alone beside the stream, pure delight is sincere; / Even more I love the spring flowing and the fragrant grasses short. / All my life seeking seclusion, I have valued casual detachment; / The entangled ways of the world—how are they worth reckoning? / In the human world, fifth-month summer clouds are oppressive; / We agreed to return together—do not be tardy!

17.103

Giving Vent to Feelings: Three Quatrains

17.104

Lofty spirit should surely model itself on Jiaoran; / This life, carefree and unburdened, grows old in poetic Chan. / What harm if there remain lines that startle people, / Chanting through rivers and mountains ten thousand poems?

17.105

Our Way has declined; every single matter is corrupted. / Nowadays there is no plan to stem the collapsing wave. / Yielding to others and flouting the Dharma has become common practice; / One can only weep over the golden scriptures—what can be done about it?

17.106

Last year I stayed awhile at a riverbank temple; / today I lodge beneath the crags, behind the forest monk's barred door. / Do not say this body lacks a fixed course: / human life is entirely like a single patch of duckweed.

17.107

Written at Liuhe Temple on South Mountain

17.108

Verdant jade-like trees border the mountain stream; / terraces and pavilions rise into the void, their grounds spread with gold. / Walking to where the white clouds layer upon layer fold, / the sound of water and the pines' music cleanse the human heart.

17.109

In the Rain on the Cold Food Festival

17.110

Shifting clouds drift boundlessly, now clearing, now overcast; / wild flowers hang wet as evening deepens into dusk. / Wayfarers, do not resent that heaven brings so much rain— / especially here on the eastern flats, where spring is already deep.

17.111

Rising Early

17.112

Past the skylight the moon departs, stars grow sparse and faint; / along the eaves dark dawn divides, clouds drift elegantly away. / Deep within this mountain home no cock crows; / now and then a cold crow comes to herald the dawn.

17.113

Facing a Magpie

17.114

Lying quietly, I am startled from time to time by the magpie's abundant joy; / in a short while an old friend indeed passes by. / Here in the mountains, another clear day passes wholly free of affairs: / I ask you, twittering bird, do you still have more to say?

17.115

Sent to Weiwu Chonghui

17.116

Now in our old age, we look on each other with doubled regard; / I am mindful that your poetic thoughts bitterly wear down your frame. / In the human world there are still unending cares; / better to use the Chan barrier to guard your spiritual nature.

17.117

Washing the Brush

17.118

The ancients put their faith in writing; / every single word came forth from this. / If the mind of the world is not deceived, / you too will share in unseen merit. / I wash it to bequeath to the youngsters; / mindful of this, they must not let it be lost.

17.119

Visiting Mount Daci, Written on the Wall of the Superior Zhou

17.120

A temple encroaching on the clouds within the ravine: / seeking seclusion, I reach its depths. / Spring passes and cold flowers bloom; / someone comes as crying birds depart. / Who would have expected a guest of the thatched hut / to meet here at sundown?

Linked texts (1)

鐔津文集 — Classical Chinese